Chosen of Light (Updated Version)
by Animegirlluver
Summary: A young girl steps out of her comfort zone and into the world. Oblivious to the dangers around her, it is hard for her to adjust to her new life as an Oracle Knight. Along the way, she is looking for someone and answers to her questions. Will she ever find what she looking for? -Book One of my Maria Curtiss/Chosen Of Series- -Pairings are to be add- (Spoilers!)
1. Prologue

AGL: Okay, sorry this took a while. School does take its toll and I have been slow on getting this done. So, to put less pressure on me, I decided that I will try to update once or twice a week with a new chapter. Since this is a fresh start on this story. I will post the prologue and chapter one in one day. Thank you to all who have stuck with me and I hope that you will continue supporting me. Now, without further ado, I present the new chapters of the Chosen of Light.

Prologue

* * *

This world is a dark cruel place. Not many can escape from its clutches. Those who do eventually die alone. Yes, this world is nothing to sneeze at. I feel sorry for those being born into this world, oblivious to the dangers around them. I use to be just like them. I didn't know what dangers roamed outside the Curtiss Manor. I read every book I could find, hoping to at least satisfy my hungry for a taste of reality. However, it was pointless. It wasn't the same. Every night I prayed that my parents would finally let me roam outside these walls, and I eventually got what I asked for. But it was nothing like I expected. Sometimes I regret I'd ever asked for it...Or do I? Did I regret ever trying to escape several times and failing. Did I regret trying to find the answers I was looking for? I don't know...I just don't know...


	2. Chapter 1

The morning sun slowly rose over the horizon. Its beams shone through my window. I sighed as I closed my diary. Today was a very special day. I was extremely excited, but also a bit sad. Today was the day I was being sent off to train as an Oracle Knight. I couldn't believe it. It was like a dream come true. I was finally no longer going to be cooped up in this crumby, old manor. Everyday here was the same. I woke up, ate, went to school, ate, finished school, came home, did homework, ate, then went to bed. That same damn routine is enough to drive a person mad!

"Maria! Come on or you are going to miss the boat!" my mother called from down the hall.

"I'll be right there!" I shouted. I quickly placed my diary, along with some pencil, into my satchel bag. I grabbed my black leather jacket from off the bed and put it on over my coral pink dress (mind you, my mother made me wear it) along with my dark brown satchel bag, which was hanging from my right shoulder to my left hip. I almost tripped as I was walking and putting my gray, knee-high boots on. My mother shook her head at me, while my father just laughed. I smiled at him with one of my cheesy grins.

My father and I have always been close. He was fun to be around. Sometimes, when Mother is not looking, he would let me sneak out for a bit. However, his plans never did work, and it ended in a scolding from Mother for both me and him. But later on we would secretly tease Mother and laugh it off like no tomorrow. I never really understood why they kept me here. These walls were meant to keep things out not in. Every time I asked Mother why I could never be out and about, she would always change the subject and give me work to do. It was annoying.

To tell you the truth, I never went out just because I was sick of being inside. I secretly was looking for something or rather someone. My brother. I never knew much about him, but I do know that Mother and Father talk about him constantly. I keep asking them about him, but they said, "It doesn't matter. He is dead." I was never satisfied with that answer. In fact, I despised it. Ever since I was seven (because that's when I first heard about him), I took it upon myself to find out about him. Who he was and why my parents wouldn't tell me about him.

I walked toward my parents and gave them a good, long hug. For some reason, I felt like I would never see them again. Even though they told me that they would come see me in three months (which is when my first set of training would end). I stepped outside and waved my final goodbye. As soon as I was a good distance away from the manor, I gave a loud shout of victory. I couldn't believe it! I was finally outside! I felt free! Ignoring the weird glances, I ran toward the docks.

The running was short lived, when I felt someone crash on top of me from behind. There was only one person who would do that.

"Hey Sam," a greeted in a painful tone. Damn, she was heavy.

"Hello, Mary~" she chirped. My eye twitched in annoyance at that name. I hated it when people called me that. It's not that I hate the name, but the fact that Mary isn't my name. Sam always seemed to call me that even though I tell her not to.

Sam has been my best friend since the 3rd grade. Since school was the only time I got to see people, I immediately tired to make friends every year. Finally, in the 3rd grade, an eccentric, redhead girl named Sammy came up to me. I remember the first thing that Sam had said to me, "Do you like ham sandwiches?" That one weird sentence started everything.

"Sam, I would appreciated it if you got off me," I almost growled. She immediately got off and gave me the biggest grin ever.

"Where are you going in such a rush, Mary?"

"I'm going to the docks. I have a boat to catch."

She gave me a confused look. She knew my parents never let me go anywhere without them. I sighed as I explained everything to her. Sam gave me a frown. I could tell she didn't want me to leave.

"You'll write, right?"

I nodded, "I promise."

* * *

I sat cross-legged on the deck of the ship. The sea breeze felt nice on my skin. The smell of salt water filled the air. I gave a happy sigh. This was paradise. I didn't have a care in the world. Or so I thought. Little did I know what lied ahead. What dangers were lurking around, waiting to corner me like an animal. However, I didn't care. I was free and at the moment that was all that mattered. No more lessons on how to be a proper, young lady. No more stuffy walls and boring quilting bees. It couldn't get much better than this. I almost completely forgot why I was even going to Daath. Almost. It was around lunch when the boat entered the port. Strange, exotic people got on and off the boat. The dock was as busy as ever. There was shouting and people pushing and shoving, trying to get to their boats. I stepped off my boat and onto the platform. As my foot touched the dock, my new life began. And that was when I met _him._ One of the biggest assholes on the planet.

* * *

**AGL: Alright, small chapter. Updates will be slow as I have said before. However, I promise to update at least once a week. This is going to be similar to the original story just with some tweaks and tune ups here and there. Anyway, don't forget to follow and favorite if you like it. Reviews are appreciated! :) **


	3. Chapter 2

Okay, so you know when you wanted something so bad; and you think, 'oh it would be so great like everything will go according to plan'? Yeah...take it from someone who just went through that in the last five minutes, it won't be as great as you thought.

**_*Ten minute's earlier...*_**

Maria walked onto the dock with the biggest smile on her face. She had never seen so many people in one small place. She had gone to ceremonies and celebrations that were thrown in Grand Chokmah and had seen tons of people there, but the city was big so it was obvious to see so many gathered. But to have so many people coming and going in such a small area, was amazing. Call it what you will, but Maria had never seen the world outside a large city and her four walls. Maria was so amazed about what was going on around her, that she didn't watch where she was going.

She staggered backwards a bit as she bumped into someone. "Sorry, I-" Maria started but soon stopped. Her blue eyes looked up to see who she had bumped into (shortie :P). An older teen with back-length crimson hair and forest green eyes was scowling down at her. Maria gave a nervous laugh as she soon realized who was before her. It was none other than the god-General Asch the Bloody. Her friends had told her about all the current god-Generals (whom her friends had met on class trips that she was never allowed to go on). Their description of Asch the Bloody fit the person before her.

Maria didn't know what to say to him or what to do. "Uh...sorry? I didn't see you?"

Asch rolled his eyes before turning his back to her. She watched him starting to walk away; but a few seconds later, he rudely called out,"Are you just going to stand there like an idiot?"

It was the blonde's turn to roll her eyes. He didn't even say anything to tell her to follow. Heck, she didn't even know if she should be following him. _Yeesh, what a jerk..._

_***End Flashback***_

So now here I was walking along side Asch the Damn Bloody Jerk. The walk to Daath seemed all too quiet. There was not a monster in sight. Maybe they were too scared of Asch to come out and "play". But that didn't seem to make sense. Monsters were smart, but not smart enough to stop and think 'I don't want to mess with human.' Maybe it was the tension between the redhead and I. It was so thick, it could be cut with a kitchen knife. Not that it really bothered me. The tension between my parents and I was just as thick if not thicker. I kicked a small stone out of my path as I started taking longer strides. I wanted to keep the tension where it was at this point; and if possible, reduce it to a minimum.

The silence was slowly killing me inside. If I was going to begin a new life, I didn't want it to be like my old one. It was always quiet and filled with tension. However, I didn't know what to say. Asch seemed like a ticking fonon bomb, one wrong move and you're toast. Of course, I wasn't scared of him. Heck, if anything, he intrigued me. I don't know why, but he just did. Maybe it had something to due with the fact that I had spent my whole life with nice people. People that wouldn't hurt a fly or were an asshole. People that didn't seem like they could kill you at any second. He was like a new challenge to me.

I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice that we had reached the city of Daath until Asch grabbed my shoulder to stop me. I looked up at him frowning before looking to see that I was about to run into one of the monuments. I had read about the monuments of Daath in a book a long time ago. They were an important part of history, and to think that I was about to run into one of them. Just goes to show that I am in fact a dunce.

I mentally slapped myself at the fact I was about to make a complete idiot out of myself. I shrugged my shoulder to get Asch's hand off of it before giving him a thank you in a low tone. I wanted to be rude but at the same time polite. I mean, after all, he saved me from embarrassment (which didn't seem like something he would normally do with the way he had been acting at the docks).

After he started walking ahead of me, I finally took the time to pay attention to all the excitement around me.

_***Third person POV***_

Maria's face lite up and a smile became plastered on her face as she looked around the big city. It was amazing. Small children were playing in the streets as their mothers went to the various booths to buy goods. Oracle knights were on duty watching the people walk on by. The buildings around her were various sizes with various people walking in and out of them. A few dogs ran around with the children while stray cats were wandering around the food stands looking for scraps. It was a beautiful sight to see...at least to Maria anyway. She had never seen Daath before; and if she had in the past, it would have been in picture books. Maria followed close behind Asch despite her sightseeing eyes and wandering mind. Before long, they had reached the Daath Cathedral. The young teen looked up in awe at the large building before her. It was almost as big as the castle in Grand Chokmah. It was a huge brown building with tall windows and doors to match. Stairs led up to the large doors. Oracle knights stood guard at the doors as people exited and entered the Cathedral.

Maria and Asch reached the large doors where they were greeted by a tall man with brown hair pulled back in spiky ponytail. His face looked he was a young adult in his late twenties, but it was covered up with thick, bushy eyebrows and a beard. The blonde's smile disappeared as she studied the person before her.

"Welcome to Daath, Ms. Curtiss," the man said as he extended to his hand. Maria took it and they exchanged a firm handshake.

"If I may ask, who do I have the pleasure of meeting?" Maria inquired with a fake polite tone. She didn't want to be rude and get off on the wrong foot with this person. However, deep down in the pit of her stomach, she had a bad feeling about him.

"I am Dorian General Grants, Commandant of the Oracle Knights," he answered with a smile.

**AGL: Oh my goodness, what have I been doing all this time. I am really sorry that I have not been updating this story at all. I've been very busy with school, but I should be able to post chapters now that I've finished some recent exams. Anyway, I may post another chapter today and one or two tomorrow as well. If there are any mistakes in my story, please let me know. Reviews are appreciated. (:**


	4. Chapter 3

I was surprised by the man's answer, but my face didn't show it. I simply smiled at him and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Commandant."

I didn't know why, but my stomach just went tied up into knots when I came into his presence. My sixth sense had never been wrong before, but I was praying it was wrong. I was going to be living in this place for only Lorelei knows how long, and I didn't want to feel like I was going to die every time I run into him. I already had Asch fill that role. On top of that, he was the Commandant of the Oracle Knights. I shouldn't feel uneasy around him, right? Right?

"We have some things we need to discuss prior as to why you are here," Grants said getting serious. I nodded and followed him and Asch inside. Asch was about to leave when Grants stopped him.

"Hold on, Asch. I want you to sit in on this." I raised an eyebrow at the man's order which sounded more like an order. I could tell Asch wasn't too pleased about this, but he was good at not showing it. He certainly had a better poker face than I did. One moment he was an asshole that didn't like taking orders; and next thing you know, he was an asshole that took his orders. It annoyed me for some reason. I mean, sure I am the same why at times but still...

I followed Asch and the commandant down a long maze of halls. I was starting to get dizzy. Everything looked the same. The walls were all gold and back with the same repeating pattern while the doors were all a very dark brown. A few Oracle Knights roamed the halls, and I could of sworn I saw a pink blur whizzing past me. I turned to stopped and looked over my shoulder to see if someone or something pink was there, but I saw nothing. The Oracle Knights in silver that were in the hall seemed unfazed. I shrugged and caught up to Asch and Grants who managed to get two feet ahead of me.

We finally stopped at a door at the end of the hall. Grants opened it up and we (Asch and I) followed him inside. He motioned for me to sit down, which I did. My eyes roamed every corner of what I assumed was his office as I crossed legs. If my mother was here, she would be death glaring me for the fact that not only was I crossing my legs; but I was slightly slouching. I didn't let that thought bother me though. Sitting completely straight as a board made my back hurt; and in my opinion, was stupid. I mean, I would do it if I felt it was necessary; but I wasn't at a fancy party so I didn't see it fit to sit like a "proper" lady.

Grants took a seat behind his desk which was neatly covered with papers and files. Asch remained standing near the doorway behind me.

"Ms. Curtiss, do you know why you are here?" Grants inquired getting down to business.

I groaned, "Drop the formalities, I'll puke...Just call me Maria."

Grants gave an amused smile, but he nodded to show me he understood.

"To answer your question, I am here simply because my parents want me train to become a solider, but find my qualities would be of better use here," I answered nonchalantly.

"I see, and what qualities do you possess?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Didn't my parents tell you all this stuff?" I inquired speaking my thoughts. I mentally facepalmed for saying that allowed. However, Grants seemed unfazed by my question. He simply brushed it off as it was nothing. He continued questioning me about my health, my family, my past (which I didn't share too much of), my abilities, and a bunch of other things. I saw him jot a few things down on a nearby notepad as I continued answering all his questions. I felt like I was being interrogated like a criminal on trial. After ten minutes (which felt like ten hours might I add) of "interrogation", it was finally over. I gave a sigh of a relief and rubbed my head to keep the blood flowing. I was exhausted from all the questions; and at the current moment, all I could think about was a nap.

I was so exhausted that I almost missed what Grants had said who my mentor was. However, my mentor's name caused me to sit straight up. I held back a chill that threatened to go down my spine as I mentally groaned. I turned to make eye contact with my new mentor, Asch the Bloody. He didn't seem too pleased; but hey, I am just as thrilled about this as much as he is. When I got up from my seat, my never ending hell began.

* * *

I followed Asch down the hallway away from Grants's office and toward a door which led to another hallway (woohoo -.-). However, the doors of this hallway were different than the ones in the previous hallway. They were still brown, but they had different colored ties tied on the doorknobs. Asch stopped at a door without a tie on it, but on the right of it was one with a green tie on it. I was curious as to why there were ties on the doorknobs, but I didn't dare ask.

I watched as the god-General pulled out a key and unlocked the door. He opened it up, and I walked inside. It was a rather large room. It had a bed up against the opposite wall from the door (along with side tables on each side of it) and was right under a small window with sunlight peaking through it. By how much sunlight was peaking through it, I could tell it was about an hour or two after noon. A dresser sat half a foot away from the front door (which took up the far right of the room). Two small doors that were across from each other took up the middles of the side walls. I assumed that one of the doors led to a bathroom and the other a closet.

"This is your room. Mine is across the hall. Training begins at five in the morning. Be there or there will be consequences."

He began walking away, but I called out, "I don't know where everything is! How am I going to be able to report to the training hall if I don't know where the hell it is?"

"Figure it out. I have more important things to do."

I gave a low growl before entering my room and slamming the door. I turned on the lights to let in a bit more light. I took off my satchel bag and neatly placed it on my bed as I plopped down on the mattress. I pulled out my diary and began writing about my day so far. Of course, because I was angry, there was some nasty content about Asch, but I didn't care. I needed to vent. I just didn't understand why he was such an ass. What the hell did I do to piss him off? All I did was bump into him. Yeesh, it wasn't like I tried to kill him or anything.

I sighed and closed my diary. I hid it under my mattress before getting up off the bed and heading toward one of the two doors. The first one I opened up led to empty closet. It wasn't large but it wasn't small either. A shelf was on the back wall and the two side walls had wooden cylinders to hang clothes. I closed the closet and opened the door on the right side of the room. It led to a small bathroom. It had a sink with a cabinet, a shower, and a toilet just like any other bathroom. However, one thing I found odd was that it looked like it was already being used. In the cabinet were various bottles of polish and medications. On top of that, there was another door in the bathroom. I went to open it, but it wouldn't. The door was locked.

I guess this bathroom is Jack and Jill bathroom, but I wondered who I was sharing it with. I exited the bathroom and locked the door on my side. I didn't want my "bathroom buddy" in my room...okay, that just came out wrong. The point of it is, I don't like people in my room just like a majority of the world's population.

I decided that I would take that well deserved nap so I walked over to my bed. However, before I could even pull back the covers, there was a knock on my door. I rolled my eyes and walked over to it. I just went through the thousand doors of question hell; couldn't people just leave me alone for a bit? I opened up the door and my annoyed attitude left me. I just couldn't help but smile at the stranger behind it.

**AGL: Man, that took a while. At least I finally finished another chapter as promised. I may be slow on updates, but I promise you I will update this story as fast as I can. Anyway, a shout out and a thank you to all of you who continued to be persistent in waiting for an update. I really appreciate the fact that people care. (: Reviews are appreciated. If I have any grammar mistakes or any other type of mistakes, let me know okay?**


	5. Chapter 4

"I miss Mary," Sam whined as she rolled across my bed. I rolled my eyes at her as I continued to finish my homework.

"She hasn't even been gone twenty-four hours. Stop complaining," I said nonchalantly. Sam was driving me crazy. For the past several hours Maria left, she had been whining and complaining about how "life is so boring without her." I honestly don't know why I even put up with Sam. I mean, she may be my twin sister and all; but sometimes she could be really _annoying_!

However, any hope of her stopping her annoyingness was lost...Call me what you will, but you try living with her. One time she got arrested and the soldier (who was a not in a very high rank in the army but like a sergeant or something) who was assigned to watch her spent a month in a mental hospital after she was released from jail...I kid you not.

"Hey Sal, do you think Maria will forget about us?" I put down my pencil and looked at my twin. I could tell she was getting serious. She never called Maria by her actual name unless she was getting serious.

I turned in my chair so that I was sitting with back of the chair in front of me. Sam was laying on her back on my purple bed. She was running her hands through her crimson locks which only reached the middle of her neck (unlike mine which reached my hips). Sammy was tomboy out of the two of us. She liked wearing baggy, boyish clothes and getting dirty. I was a bit of a girly-girl but a smart one. Not one of those prissy, "I'm too good for you" type of girly-girls. However, I enjoyed wearing dresses and wasn't too fond of getting all sweaty and muddy.

Sam's gray eyes were staring at the ceiling filled with sadness. I sighed. I could understand her pain of missing someone for I missed her too; but if anything, I'm sure she was also a little jealous.

"Sam, I highly doubt Maria will forget about us. Remember, one important thing about her is that she never forgets. I'm sure she misses us just as much as we miss her; and one thing's for sure, she would be scolding you for sitting on your lazy rear and moping," I joked at the end.

A smile went across my twin's slightly tanned face. "You're right! Come on, Sal! We need to get off our lazy asses!"

I sweatdropped, "Watch your language, and what do you propose we do?"

"We are going to do a B&amp;E! Breaking and Entering!"

"No! No, we aren't! Last thing we need is another collar on your criminal record!"

* * *

Maria smiled at the small girl before her. She had long pink hair that reached her hips and wore a black and pink dress with a matching hat and boots. Her big dark pink eyes looked up at me with curiosity and shyness. A weird, cute yet demonic doll was partially covering her face.

"Yes, can I help you?" Maria asked kindly.

"A-Are you the new girl the Commandant was talking about?" the girl inquired.

"Depends. Are there any other new female recruits coming in today?"

"I don't think so..."

"Then, yes. The name's Maria."

"I-I'm Arietta." Maria's eyes went wide when the girl said her name. She was in the presence of the Arietta the Wild. The blonde was trying so hard to fight the urge to get all excited and scare her off.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Arietta." There was a long awkward silence. The girls didn't know what to say to each other. Well, Maria did; but what she wanted to say might cause the young girl to get scared. The blonde couldn't help it. Arietta was the only known human on Auldrant who could talk to monsters and was raised by monsters. It was an awesome feeling to be talking to the pinkette.

"So Arietta," Maria spoke up, "do you think you could show me around? My mentor isn't too fond of me, and won't show me where everything is."

Arietta gave a small smile and nodded. Maria turned off her light and closed the door before walking down the halls with the young girl. However, it was giving her the creeps to have a giant liger following us around. Although she knew it was Arietta's "sibling", but it still made her uncomfortable.

After almost two hours of walking around the large building, Arietta managed to show Maria all the places the apprentice was allowed to enter.

"I-I think that's everything," she said in a small voice. They had managed to end the tour in the cathedral's lobby.

Maria gave her a big smile, "Thank you for the tour, Arietta. I enjoyed spending time with you even though we didn't really do anything."

Arietta returned the smile with one of her own. S_he is adorable! I wish she was my sister. Damn, monsters get all the luck..._

A blonde woman suddenly walked up toward the two. Her face was serious yet kind at the same time. Her blonde hair was style similar to the Commandant's hair. She wore a black dress with white marks on it. Thigh-high black boots and gloves completed the outfit along with a red scarf-like material around her arms. She looked at Arietta and said, "The Commandant needs you, Arietta. We have a situation."

The pinkette's face became serious. She gave a nod before turning to Maria, "It was nice to meet you. I hope we get to hang out again." And with that she left with the blonde. Maria raised an eyebrow when she saw twin guns strapped the blonde woman's back. The woman seemed very familiar. It felt like she had seen her somewhere before... However, she brushed it off as if it was nothing. The teen sighed. She felt lonely and was getting bored already. Nothing exciting was happening. If she wanted to be bored, she would have stayed at home with her mother and did quilting. Quilting was more exciting than doing nothing, and she didn't even like doing it. In fact, she despised it.

_I wonder how my friends are doing back home...I bet they are having more fun than I am right now..._

Maria headed back towards the Oracle Knights headquarters. However, in the room before the hallway that led to the headquarters, the blonde got distracted by a fonic glyph on the floor. She walked toward it with curiosity. Arietta never did tell her what it led to. Maria didn't know if the small girl just forgot to tell her about it or just didn't want to tell her about it. Suddenly, the glyph became active. Maria jumped back in surprise. She didn't know who or what was going to come down. She hid behind a nearby staircase. Backing up into the darkest space, she could still be easily seen.

_Stupid bright colors. Damn it, why am I hiding? I won't even get in trouble, but...my body...is reacting on its own..._

She could see a young boy with green hair and in a fon master uniform, but she couldn't see his face. Her eyes widened.

_It's the Fon Master! At least, I think he is...I mean, he is wearing the uniform...but I can't be sure..._

A young girl in a pink fon master guardian uniform, whose face Maria also couldn't see, came up to the boy and led him away from the fonic gylph. Maria stayed in her hiding spot until she heard a door close. The blonde came out from her hiding spot from behind the stairs and quickly ran out of the room, and didn't stop until she reached her bedroom.

_What is wrong with me? Why did I run?_

The blonde shook her head and plopped down on her bed. She laid back and stared up at the ceiling. With a confused mind and tired body, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

**AGL: Another chapter done. Okay, before I get reviews saying that Sam and Sal at the beginning was unnecessary, I want to say it is important. You will understand why later on. Sam and Sal are very important characters and in the old version they were going to show up way later, but it would have been very confusing if I waited. Anyway, every four chapters or so they will show up until eventually...I'm going to stop there or I will be spoiling my own fanfic. XD Anyway, I hope this chapter wasn't too confusing itwasveryhardtodescribethegod-General'soutfitsXDIdon'tknowifIdidthemright. If the chapter was confusing, let me know; and I will fix/explain it. **


	6. Chapter 5

"Maria..."

I groaned as I turned over in my bed. I didn't want to wake up.

"Maria..."

The voice was starting to get more stern.

"Five more minutes..."

"Maria, wake up or you'll be late for training."

I opened up my eyes and quickly sat up.

"Crap! What time is it?!" It took a while for my eyes to adjust, but soon my vision cleared. A frowning face was looking down upon me. It was the blonde woman that Arietta went with.

"It is four thirty in the morning," the woman informed me. I had slept through dinner? Oh well, it wasn't the first time I went through a whole day without eating. However, I'm not going to talk about the thousands of times that has happened.

I yawned and stretched as she plopped down a black zipper bag and a pile of clothes on my bed. On my nightstand, she placed a tray that held a small bowl of oatmeal and a plate with one piece of buttered toast.

"You have ten minutes to get ready. I suggest you don't procrastinate," and with that the blonde left. She closed the door, and I got up to lock it. I took the piece of toast and nibbled on it as I opened up the bag. I quickly and carefully pulled out its contents: a hairbrush, a white toothbrush and a tube of mint toothpaste (mmm...mint...), a couple of hair ties, hairspray, shampoo and conditioner, and body wash. I finished my toast before stripping off my old clothes and shoes, and putting on my uniform.

The uniform was quite nice and comfortable. The uniform consisted of a white long-sleeved shirt, black pants, thick black gloves that went up to my elbows, a black belt, white leggings, and black knee-high boots with white accents. However, even though the shoes were comfortable, my feet hurt like crazy. Note to self: no matter how tired you, take off your damn shoes before you go to bed!

I put everything I took out of the bag back inside it except the hairbrush and teeth cleaning stuff. After wolfing down the oatmeal, I headed toward the bathroom and quickly brushed my hair. I then did a speed brushing because I only had two minutes left. However, halfway through brushing, I saw that the locked door was open just a crack. I quickly rinsed my toothbrush and mouth before looking through the crack. The room was dark but looked like a bedroom like mine. I assumed that the person was in a rush and forgot to lock their door when they left or they were about to come into the bathroom. Either way, I was still curious as to who resided in the room.

However, a bang on my bedroom door, brought me back to reality. Time was up. I took my bathroom things and put them back into the bag. I locked my bedroom side of the bathroom door. The locks of the doors were strange in my opinion. The bedroom had a lock for the bathroom door on its side to keep people from coming into the bedroom, and the bathroom had a lock on its side to keep people from coming into the bathroom. Which was smart, but what I found strange was that the bedrooms' main doors had the same lock system too (at least, I knew mine did). I wondered why that was, but I didn't have time to think about it at the moment.

I quickly exited the room to see the blonde woman standing there. I almost ran right into her actually. She eyed me for a moment before motioning me off (Wait, did I say that right?...motioning me off...? Eh, who cares...). I quickly ran off toward the training hall. It takes twenty minutes to get to their if you are walking so if I ran I would make it in half the time...right?

I dodged Oracle Soldiers as I ran as fast as I could. Years of running late to class (which by the way wasn't my fault; it was Sam's fault...just saying...) really paid off. The feeling of running felt wonderful. I felt alive and...and free which was a feeling I never truly felt. I had to actually keep myself from enjoying the feeling too much because the idea and very feeling of it is too good to be true. However, it did help me become wide awake. I slid to stop myself as I reached the doors of the training hall. I almost slipped, but I managed to keep my balance and stayed on my feet. I was out of breath, but I felt refreshed. After taking a minute to catch my breath, I opened up the door to see Asch waiting for me.

He was leaning up against a striking post. A sheathed sword was leaning next to him on the post.

"Morning," I greeted cheerfully. I hoped that maybe he was in a better mood. However, any hope of that was a small as the eye of a needle; but it was my nature to be cheerful even when the hope of someone being cheerful were slim. My reason for that is unimportant, but a part of it is because I like being the light in the darkest place. It makes me feel better about myself.

Asch didn't respond to my greeting, unless of course, you call watching me like a hawk as a response. Why the hell do people keep eyeing my like a damn piece of prey. Arietta was the only one so far that talked to me like a normal person. The Commandant...well, he I guess he didn't eye me like a piece of meat...but then again I still had a bad feeling about him.

"I was beginning to think that you would be late," Asch finally spoke up.

"You make it sound like you were hoping that I would be late." Asch rolled his eyes at me before he picked up the sword that was leaning up next to him. He handed it to me, and a carefully took it. It was an inch less than half my height and heavy. It definitely would be challenge to get accustomed to it. I wanted to unsheathe it to see what the blade looked like, but I didn't know if I should do that.

I clipped the sheath to my belt and waited for orders on what to do next. Okay, let's get one thing straight, I may not like to do what people tell me to do; but I know there are times when me rebelling will harm me and when it won't harm me. Then there are those times when you test which one it is. However, if I valued my life at the moment, I wouldn't want to test which one this situation was.

I followed Asch onto a sparring mat and he ordered me to draw my sword. I did slowly and carefully since this was my very first time drawing one. The blade was a plain silver one, but it was beautiful. The way it shone in the dull lights was captivating. The handle was just a simple black color with symbol of Lorelei engraved in it. The sword was amazing. I held it in my right hand tightly, but apparently the wrong way.

"You're holding it wrong. If you hold it that way, you'll snap your wrist when you parry with someone."

He took my hand and helped position it right. Finally, after helping me with my hand position and setting me up in a proper fighting stance, he stood opposite of me and drew his own sword. He finally began teaching me the basics of fighting which didn't bother me. What did bother me was the constant remarks he was making on what I was doing wrong.

"Keep your back straight" or "stay on guard at all times" or my favorite (note my sarcasm) "quit gripping the handle so tight". It was starting to get on my nerves. Asch was like the male version of my mother. I was starting to get sweaty, but he wasn't even breaking a sweat at all. This made me even more irritated. Asch must have caught onto my annoyance because he used it to his advantage to knock me onto my butt. "You need to control your emotions. They make your attacks sloppy." He offered me a hand which, despite my better judgement, I took. He pulled me up and he we began practicing the basics again.

**AGL: Okay, so there won't be many scenes with them training due to the fact I don't really know how they would work. However, there will be some so you be able to see her thoughts on them and Asch. Also the () in the story is sort of Maria breaking the forth wall sometimes just FYI. Anyway, I hope you like this chappie, and I'll see you next time. :)**


	7. Chapter 6

_Dear Maria,_

_We hope that you are doing well in your training and stay in Daath. Your mother and I both know how rough training to be a soldier can be. We both miss you dearly and are counting off the days when we will see you again. Stay safe and out of trouble. We love you very much. -With love, Mom and Dad_

I folded the letter and sighed as I propped my feet up on my nightstand. I laid back on my bed and stared at the ceiling. I heard my wall clock's second hand tick. It was very soothing. As much as I loved my father and wanted to send him and him alone a letter, I couldn't. I would hurt my mother's feelings which wouldn't bother me, but deep down I would feel guilty. That would throw off my whole focus during training which was something I didn't want to do with a mentor like Asch.

It has now been two weeks since my training here at the Oracle Knights started, and I've been enjoying my early morning training as much as I could. It really helped me learn how to control my emotions (which tend to run wild) and help me wake up everyday. This was the very first letter my parents had sent me since I left. Sam and her sister dropped me two letters during my first week (they were mostly written by Sam). Even after two weeks, I still haven't really met anyone or have really known that blonde woman's name. In fact, I hadn't really seen her since my first day of training.

I mostly spent my two weeks of training and in my room. I never really bothered socializing with anyone because I didn't know how to break the ice. All my friends or people who I considered friends came to me first. I never really had any practice introducing myself to some random stranger. Occasionally, Arietta and I went out to garden in the back of the cathedral; but she was usually too busy with only Yulia knows what. Currently, it was about seven in the morning; and I had just finished training with Mister Ass the Bloody... Okay, I need to come up with a better nickname for him; but Asch does sound like...anyway...

I took of my gloves and started chewing my nails. I always chewed my nails to relieve my anxiety disorder. When I was about three, I had developed a serious anxiety disorder due to some traumatic events I went through. I don't really remember what happened, but all I know it must have been pretty bad to damage my mind and subconscious very badly. Biting my nails helped me with my disorder (don't judge me...). The letter was making me feel anxious. I didn't know how to reply or even if I should. If I didn't, they would be mad at me; and I would have to deal with their anger when they come and visit me in two months.

My heart began racing rapidly.

I didn't know what to do. I hated my mother. I didn't want anything to do with her. I didn't care about her. I wished she would just leave me alone. I loved my dad, but replying to him was like replying to my mother. I didn't like my hate for my mother showing. I didn't want to hurt her feelings even though she hurt me so much. All the mean things she said and did to me...she acted as if I was a criminal or the enemy...my dad saw me as his pride and joy. I just didn't understand.

I bit my lip as tears welded up in my eyes. I blinked rapidly to hold them back. I am not going to cry...it's wrong to cry...it's wrong...I'm not going to cry! I'm not!

* * *

Maria put her hands in her pocket as she walked down the halls. She rounded the corner and into the cafeteria. It was mostly empty except for a couple of Oracle Knights and Arietta along with two other people she hadn't seen before. One of them was a young boy around her age in a mask. She began getting all curious about why he wore a mask. The other was man about in his late forties (like her Dad) who made the blonde want to sink back into a corner. The man was quite large and looked very strong. Maria pretended they weren't there a grabbed a tray and began grabbing whatever was left of breakfast. She didn't intended to socialize.

She just wanted to eat and leave. As the blonde went through the lines of limited options, she ended up getting a bowl of oatmeal, a glass milk, and a cinnamon muffin. It wasn't much, but it wasn't like she ate a lot to begin with. She was about to sit down in the most isolated area of the cafeteria when Arietta called her over. She could no long ignore her. Arietta was just too nice and adorable to say no to. On top of that, she was the only one who really bothered to hang out with Maria.

The apprentice mentally sighed as she walked over to her table and sat down next to Arietta. The boy was sitting across from her; the man sat across from Arietta.

"Morning, Arietta," the blonde greeted nonchalantly.

"Good morning, Maria," the pinkette chirped. "There are some people I want you to meet. This is Largo," she gestured toward the man, "and Sync."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Maria gave them a good, fake smile. She was still out of it from earlier. In fact, she was so out of it, she didn't even realize the fact she was in the midst of two of the six god-Generals.

Maria started eating as the man and Arietta engaged into a conversation. She wasn't really paying attention to what the two were saying nor did she really care. Her thoughts were on the boy across from her. She wondered why he wore a mask.

_Maybe he is hideously disfigured or he is secretly a spy for the Oracle Knights so no one can know his identity...Maybe his face reminds people of death or something...Wait, doesn't that only apply to demons...Hm..._

"Maria," Arietta called.

_Or perhaps he is a wanted criminal..._

"Maria..."

_Nah, that wouldn't work. If he was then he couldn't be in the Oracle Knights, right?_

"Maria!"

"What?!" Maria shouted. She blushed when she saw people were staring at her. She pinched the bridge of her nose. She could have sworn she heard the boy snicker. However, she ignored him. "I'm sorry, Arietta. What do you want?"

"I-I was just going to ask if you were going with us on the next mission the day after tomorrow since Asch is."

This caught the blonde's attention. She looked on the girl and raised an eyebrow. "He didn't tell me about he was going on a mission."

"Oh, forget I said anything."

"Forgotten." Maria glared at her half-empty bowl. Why didn't he tell her anything? She was his apprentice. She should know about him leaving, right?

"So Maria, how are you enjoying your stay here at the Oracle Knights," Largo spoke up. The blonde snapped out of her trance and looked up at the man. He didn't seem so bad up close. Sure, he looked like a fierce giant; but he seemed gentle with the way he spoke to Arietta.

"It certainly has been a rough and interesting experience. I've learned a lot, but I feel like my mentor is going to stab me when I'm not looking," she answered rubbing the back of her head.

"If you think I would do something like that, you are even more of an idiot than I thought," a voice said behind her. Maria laughed nervously as she turned around to see her mentor giving her an annoyed look.

"Hey Asch, fancy meeting you here...in the cafeteria..." Maria groaned as she put her face in her hands. Today just wasn't her day.

**AGL: Another chappie done. Bam! Also, I appreciate all the reviews, follows, and favs. It means a lot that some of you care. Oh, and the reason I update so quickly is because I'm home schooled so I kind of have a lot of time on my hands. However, life and stuff still happen so I will be slow at times or I won't take the time to re-look my writing and stuff until later (like this chapter...sorry for any mistakes...). Just FYI, people. Anyway, if any of the characters tend to be OOC please, please let me know. Until next time, bye! :)**


	8. Chapter 7

It was after lunch when I wandered into the library. I had decided to pass the time reading. During my two weeks, I spent most of time here (besides my room). It was usually empty in the library which was the way I liked it. My eyes quickly scanned the bookcases. I recognized several books that I had back at home. Finally, on a high shelf, I saw a book on ancient fonic artes just calling my name. I mentally cursed my height as I stood on the tips of my toes. My finger tips brushed the bottom edge of the cover. I sighed. Why did all the things I want so high up? Even in life in general, all the things I wanted seemed far out of my reach.

I pulled a nearby chair toward the shelf and used it as a step ladder. Bad idea... The chair was very unstable. However, it didn't bother me because I'm a damn idiot. I stood on my toes and was able to reach the book, but it was stuck.

"Dammit, come on," I mumbled. I tugged very hard, but it wouldn't budge. After one final tug, I final was able to pull it out; but I lost my balance in the process. The book slipped from my grip as I braced for impact. I was sure to hit my head hard on the table that was behind me. I closed my eyes and waited for the hard wooden surface to collide with my thick skull that held a brain filled with stupidity, but the impact never came. I opened my eyes to see angry yet curious eyes glaring down at me. You didn't have to be a fomicry scientist to know who the person who caught me was.

"What the hell are you doing?" Asch inquired in a harsh yet gentle tone. His tone wasn't like all the other times he talked to me. It sounded like he actually cared.

"I-I was trying to get a book," I answered pointing at the rather large book on the ground. I held back a blush as this situation was very awkward for me (and probably for him too). He put me back onto my feet and bent down to pick up my book. He study the book cover.

"Studying up on ancient fonic artes?"

"Yeah, but I haven't ever tried any of the ones I've read about."

"Why not?"

"Huh?"

"Why haven't you ever tried doing any of them? You have the ability."

I smirked at the redhead, "Was that a compliment I heard?"

Asch simply rolled his eyes at me. "The reason why I haven't tried any of them is because my parents dissuaded me from doing so. My mother dissuaded me the most. They were worried I might hurt myself so I just read about them." I rubbed the back of my head shyly.

My mentor gave me a serious look before saying, "I could teach you how to do powerful fonic artes without killing yourself."

"Really?"

"Yes, after you learn to control the basic artes I'm already teaching you."

My right eye twitched in annoyance as I thought back to this morning's "incident". "It's not my fault that Fang Blade broke the window! That Oracle Knight scared me half to death by bursting into the room like the building was on fire!"

Now it was Asch's turn to smirk, "All I hear is excuses. It's your fault you're so jumpy."

I crossed my arms and pouted. I wish I could punch that stupid look of his face. He started opening the book that I almost died retrieving and began flipping through its pages.

"Hey Asch, a little birdy told me that you are going on a mission with the other god-Generals in two days. Is that true?"

The redhead stopped flipping through the pages; and an eerie silence filled the room.

"Why do you ask?" he inquired without looking up from the book.

"Just curious is all...you don't have to answer that. Forget I said anything."

"Why are you always like that?" He still was looking at the book. I raised an eyebrow at him, "I'm not sure I understand the question."

Asch sighed as he turned another page, "Whenever you have a question, you hesitate to ask; and don't you dare try to deny it. I see that questioning look in your eyes all the time during training, but you never ask your damn question. And when you do, you back down. It's annoying."

I looked away from him and glared at the bookshelf before me. "Why would you care? If I want to know something, I'll ask. If I feel like I'm prying or I shouldn't ask, I'll back down. On top of that, I could've denied the fact if I wanted to because you only based your stupid theory on the two hours we spend together training. Therefore you can't really say anything about me because you never spend enough time with me to know a damn thing about me. I hate it when people stand here thinking they know everything about me when they don't know crap. If anything, that is annoying."

I spat out each word with anger and hatred. People did it all the time especially my mom. No one truly knows me except Sam and her sister, and that is only because they broke through the walls I built to keep people out of my mind and seeing who I truly am. Now here comes my mentor thinking he knows everything about me because we've trained together for two weeks. He has no damn idea. Ugh, he pisses me off so much!

And here I thought we were going to have a normal conversation...damn it, I was stupid to think that!

I snatched the book out of his hands and gave him a quick glare. A look of surprise appeared on his face, but I didn't care. I began leaving the library seething. However, I before I exited, I said in low tone, "Thank you for saving my ass."

**AGL: Another chappie done. Man, this took a while. I tried to keep Asch in character for the most part. If he is OOC, I'm sorry. Also, pardon my errors. My internet has been laggy so I can't currently go back and fix any mistakes...-.- Anyway, I hope you like it. And we should be running into Luke's group very soon. The story will be moving along into the game either the chapter after the next or the chapter after that one. Anyway, likes; favs; and reviews are appreciated. :)**


	9. AN 1

**Sorry this isn't an update. I would like to apologize to everyone for my lack of updates. In fact, this story may not receive updates for a while. I am not going up on this story, but the updating process will be slow due to some changes happening in my life. I am going to be starting a small business in crafting, and school is becoming a burden. :(**

**I promise though I will update very soon, and I plan to make the chapters longer to keep you guys full until the next chapter (well as full as possible XD). Anyway, I thank all of you for sticking with me, and I hope that you will be willing to wait. Until then, ciao~**


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